My friend Brice Royer has been struggling with a stomach tumour and
depression for the past few years.

A doctor told him that feeling loved and cared for is the world’s
best medicine. “I can’t buy love, but maybe I can give it away,"
he said. So just for fun, he wrote a Craigslist ad selling Unconditional Love for $0 that
reached millions of people in a few days. We were all very surprised!

Francesca Murray, a Vancouver mother, responded to
his Craigslist ad for help with cooking. We then learned
she's currently living at a women’s shelter with her 4 year old
daughter. She even offered to help us feed the hungry.

We were so touched that we decided to surprise her with food.
Instead, she surprised us by sharing the food with six other women at
the shelter! A friend made a fundraiser to provide more food to the
shelter. It made the front page of the Vancouver Sun.

(Photo: Ruso, Brice, and Francesca)

Homelessness could happen to anyone.

She used to work as a business analyst for the ICBC. After leaving a
difficult relationship and struggling with physical and mental health
issues, she now has very little support. The homeless shelter is
unstable and they often run out of food.

Recently, we found out that Francesca’s term at the shelter
ends in February, leaving her searching for a new home.

So we had this idea... why don't we help out this kindhearted
homeless mom and her daughter? We aim to raise $5,000 to get Francesca
back on her feet!

But it doesn’t stop there--what if we built a sustainable
solar-powered tiny house that could be temporary housing not only for
Francesca, but also for other people experiencing transitions?
This could be a solution to the refugee crisis and climate change.

We envision the tiny home being owned and run by a local non-profit
that would provide the services necessary to all aspects of
transitioning back into stable, permanent housing. Individuals and
families would be welcome to stay in the tiny home, all by donation,
which could then be used to build more homes and start an
international pay-it-forward housing movement.

We aim to raise $20,000 towards building a tiny home, as well
as the $5000 to support Francesca’s short term housing needs, for a
total of $25,000.

An affordable tiny home may seem like a dream, but that’s exactly
what my friend Kayla Feenstra did. Her home has
been featured in the media and cost $20,000 to build over two months.

She lives in her tiny home on property in exchange for clearing the
unused farm land in Abbotsford, BC. Kayla’s experience is an example
of how to live mortgage-free on unused land in harmony with the local community.

We invite everyone interested in collaborating in this amazing
project to contact us. We are looking for volunteers, construction
supplies and materials (materials list soon to be released), as well
as non-profits or landowners who are inspired by our vision.

By helping one person, we are helping all humanity.

We can change lives together, helping one homeless mother and her
daughter, while supporting the environment and minimizing the cost of living.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Who is arranging for the home to be built?

As of December 2015, we have three volunteers who kindly offered to
help build the home. Kayla Feenstra of Tiny Homes Canada (pictured in
the fundraiser, who built her own tiny home in 3 months for under
$20,000) with the assistance of architects Peter and Alexis Smith.
The entire team is listed on the website www.tinyhomebighearts.com

Where will the home be located? For how long? Is there a
contingency plan if the land situation changes (ie property gets sold)?

Kayla Feenstra has several locations to build and park the first tiny
home. The build will most likely happen in Abbotsford and take 3
months to build. One of the many benefits of having a tiny home is
mobility. The home can easily be moved if needed. We are also working
with the city of Vancouver to explore solutions for a more permanent
tiny home community.

How long will she live in this home? Is there a time limit
(ie. Until she gets back on her feet and is able to move into
something larger with her daughter)?

As written in the fundraiser above, the first $5000 will be towards
her short-term housing needs until she finds suitable long-term
housing. The extend of the stay in the non-profit tiny home will
depend on city by-laws for non-profit transition housing. In the event
that Francesca finds more suitable housing, the vacancy will be given
to others in transition.

Why not extend the fundraiser?

Francesca's term at the shelter ends in February. It takes
approximately three months to build the home. If we don't raise the
full amount, it means we have to delay building the house. This won't
just delay Francesca, but all people in transition, because we
envision the tiny home being owned and run by a local non-profit where
families can stay, all by donation.

Will this help just Francesca? What about others in need? Why
not share the funds equally to many other homeless people? We could
help more people!

The first $5000 goes to Francesca's short term housing needs. It will
help for some time but it won't be a sustainable long-term solution.
The rest goes to build the tiny home. This home will not only help
Francesca, but others in transition such as refugees. We envision the
tiny home being owned and run by a local non-profit that would provide
the services necessary to all aspects of transitioning back into
stable, permanent housing. Individuals and families would be welcome
to stay in the tiny home, all by donation (often through their
government income assistance), which could then be used to build more
homes and start an international pay-it-forward housing movement. We
are exploring solutions with the city of Vancouver for a tiny home community.

Why not get the supplies donated? This tiny home should be sponsored!

We agree. A supplier has kindly offered to donate windows and doors.
If you would like to donate supplies, we would love to hear from you.
We are looking for bathrooms, kitchens, trailers, furnishings, and
more. Please email us if you'd like to make an in-kind donation of
supplies homeforhomelessmom@gmail.com

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